Duterte’s cowardice shows in letter to ICC
MANILA — Rodrigo Duterte’s letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC), waiving his right to participate in the confirmation of charges hearing, is an act of “cowardice”, “propaganda”, and a “strategy” for victims and human rights defenders.
“I am also old and tired, but I will not stop fighting for justice for my sons and for all victims of the war on drugs,” said Llore Pasco whose two sons were killed in May 2017 at the height of Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign. “Duterte is just a coward desperate to escape accountability.”
In a letter dated February 17, 2026, Duterte wished to waive his right to attend the hearing because he does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and claimed he was kidnapped. He denied any role in a policy of extrajudicial killings and claimed that he is “old, tired, and frail.”
Bulatlat released fact-check reports that Duterte was not a victim of kidnapping and that he ordered the killing of drug addicts, users, pushers, and rebels in multiple instances before, during, and after his presidential term.
Read: Rodrigo Duterte oversaw the policy of extrajudicial killings
“Stop the drama and face accountability,” Pasco said. “When he ordered the police to ‘kill, kill, kill’, he did not complain that he was old, tired and frail. Where has his braggadocio gone?”
Human rights alliance Karapatan called him a coward and a tyrant. The group previously held a press conference, together with families of victims, to announce readiness to face Duterte in the upcoming confirmation of charges hearing on February 23, 2026.
Read: Kin of ‘drug war’ victims ready for Duterte ICC hearing
“In one fell swoop, he denies all his ‘kill-kill-kill’ rhetoric and cravenly refuses to face accountability for his actions by claiming cognitive deficits,” Palabay said. “For all his hubris, Duterte, in the end, cowers like all defeated tyrants in the face of those who seek justice.”
Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima said that Duterte’s statement was meant to serve both as propaganda and legal strategy. She was a victim of political vilification during the Duterte administration, subjected to more than six years in detention for drug-related charges all cleared in June 2024.
“It is propaganda as it projects a defiant Duterte but at the same time appeals to the emotion by saying he already expects to die inside prison,” De Lima said. “It is a legal strategy because Duterte’s appearance will not serve any positive purpose but might endanger his defense in case Kaufman is not able to control him before the ICC judges, as Duterte is famous for his outbursts in whatever venue regardless of the solemnity of the occasion.”
The response or decision on Duterte’s letter will be determined by the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s judges in a public decision. But the Rule 124 of the Rome Statute allows the confirmation of charges hearing to push through even in the absence of the suspect when they waived their right to be present.
Despite Duterte’s actions, Palabay said that the human rights community and the orphaned families of drug war remain undeterred in their fight for justice.
“We have longed for the moment when he will face his crimes. Even as he waived his right to appear before the court, we will claim this small but significant step toward justice,” Pasco said.
The confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC is a preliminary step and is meant to decide whether the evidence is strong enough to support the allegation that Duterte committed each of the crimes filed by prosecutors.
If one or more charges are confirmed, Duterte is deemed accused. The case will then proceed to trial. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I has a minimum of 60 calendar days to make a decision on the confirmation of charges. (DAA)
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